February 28, 2017

Ahoy again from the land of film finishing! As you may already know, I'm in the final stages of finishing my first feature documentary film. Very exciting times and I'm getting so stoked for the film's release!! In an effort to raise the funds necessary to finish and release the film, I'm running an Indiegogo campaign. Because I only have 8 days left and I'm still very far from my goal, several lovely companies have offered beautiful giveaway gift packages for anyone who contributes $5 or more to the film. The list of prizes is below and here's how it works: at the end of my Indiegogo campaign in 8 days, I will put all the names of all the lovely contributors in a hat and draw 9 lucky winners. Based on the order they are chosen, each winner will have the chance to pick the prize of choice. For example, if your name is drawn first, you get first choice at one of the lovely prizes below, and so on until all the prizes have been claimed. So far, there are 40 eligible contributors to the campaign and 9 prizes, meaning currently, there's basically a 1 in 4 chance of winning something. As an added bonus, my amazing film distributor at KinoSmith and Blue Ice Docs is going to match all contributions made to the campaign, dollar-for-dollar, (up to the 20k goal) in an effort to get this film to the finish line and out into the world!

A stunning 5 1/2 qt. Dutch Oven in the color of your choice (valued at over $300) from Le Creuset (ships to US only):

Winner: Abby S, congrats!

A lovely caramel and flower seeds gift package from Fat Toad Farm (ships to US only):

Winner: Carrie B, congrats!

A scrumptious gift package of certified organic chocolates including chocolate bars and baking chocolate as well as an all-chocolate cookbook from Theo Chocolates (valued approx. $75, ships to both US and Canada):

Winner: Rose M, congrats!
A gift package of an assortment of over 50 certified organic seed packets for your garden, everything from vegetables to flowers and herbs (valued at over $300 per gift package) from High Mowing Seeds - there will be 5 of these prizes offered to 5 lucky winners (ships to both Canada and the US)

Winners: Sarah S, Wilf G, Rebecca L, Andree L, Av S, congrats!!

A gorgeous certified organic cereal gift package from Nature's Path (valued at over $100, ships to both US and Canada):

February 16, 2017

Ahoy friends! This is my longest absence yet from this wee corner of the ever-expanding universe of the interwebs. And since I last wrote in August, so much has happened in the world, a reminder that the one thing that's always constant is change, that nothing is certain, and that the world can become a very different place in a very short time. These trying political times certainly call on us for greater engagement in our communities, deeper compassion and understanding, action, vigilance, and resistance! How are you all holding up?

It's been quiet on this little blog because as many of you know, I've been finishing my very first feature film, and it's taken much longer than I ever anticipated. I arrived in Toronto last April, rough cut of the film in hand, the promise of spring in the air, thinking it would take oh, give or take 3 or 4 months to bring the film to completion. Ha, that was a funny little joke I played on myself. Almost a full year later, after countless hours, days, weeks, months of nose-to-the-grindstone unrelenting effort, here I finally am, 2 months away from the film's release in April! In fact, yesterday, I finally delivered (shaky hands and all) my picture lock (my baaaaaby!!) to the post-production house where it will get colour corrected and all polished up and mastered and ready for the world. It's certainly been a long uphill battle, but one that always had the undercurrent of an inexplicably-propelled determination that come hell or high water, I would finish this thing... for myself, and for my mom... and for YOU! Yes, you. Wherever you are, whoever you are, I have a story I've been wanting to share with you. And I'm almost ready to do so.

I want to thank you so much for all the support, the ongoing words of encouragement, the generous contributions to my Indiegogo campaign (where I'm still trying to raise the last of the finishing funds needed to complete). Many of you have asked if I am still making my video recipes and the answer is yes! Albeit on a somewhat reduced basis until the film is released in April, but yes, every month, I'm still making a new video. In case you missed them, I'm posting the latest ones here below. But please know that once the film is fully finished and released, I'll be back to sharing new recipes with you on a much more regular basis. In the meantime, I hope this month of February is treating you well. I leave you with this quote which I've been coming back to again and again lately: